Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this. I just want to say the art alone is extremely beautiful and so detailed. I loved the color combinations you genuinely brought this story to life!!
I can’t wait to see more of this work and where this story may continue to lead!

Goodness.

Readers, as if the gorgeous cover of this book wasn’t enough to pull you in and hook you to the characters and story, I can’t even begin to properly illustrate how exceptionally well Of Swamp & Sea manages to do so.

It’s a fairly common occurrence for me to delve into a graphic novel and feel as though I’ve just entered a world reminiscent of the pilot episode of a show—only, the wait for the next episode is so much longer that it’s legitimately painful or the lack of a cohesive ending to the narrative makes the story feel far too open ended once you reach the final pages that you’re kind of sat there feeling as though you didn’t really get much of a story so much as you got a first chapter. And over time I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a hazard of reading graphic novels from time to time.

Suffice to say, all of that I’ve just written out above is not the case with Mia Jay and Laurel Boulton’s phenomenal tale. Now, sure, I think there’s a case to be made for the fact that this story is still somewhat episodic, but instead of feeling like I was thrown into a story with no reasonable conclusion, I feel like I got several episodes of an exciting show I will eagerly await for the next piece of. Not only do we get an exceptional introduction to the world, but the manner in which the characters are both introduced and developed in such a short span of time is nothing short of excellent. Of course, this is achieved through the beginnings of the two leads’ meeting of each other, the instigating event for their subsequent adventure, and a slow build to a little bit of backstory.

The pacing of this? Pure perfection.

Honestly, that’s probably why the story and plot as a whole just landed so well with me.

This is without even getting to the art which, I just gotta say, is some of the most gorgeous work I’ve seen. Mercy is just so dang adorable, how could anyone not fall in love with her? And monster hunter Jonah “is something of a heartthrob, if you catch my meaning—aloof and detached. You know, on account of [his] sordid past.”

-insert ridiculous snort-giggle at my pathetic joke here-

Suffice to say, the fact that this story is also available on Webtoon pretty much just cements what I’ll be doing in the coming days. This is far too engaging and enticing to wait for.

Of Swamp and Sea is a fast-paced graphic novel that ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. I enjoyed the illustrations and the mystery of the final scene.

Mercy recruits Jonah to help solve the mystery of her father's death. In the process she becomes possessed by a wolf spirit. This book is just volume 1 in a series. This volume sets up what will clearly be a pretty interesting story. It sets up a lot of the background info for the story and the first reall battle for them to face together. This volume also left me with more than one question. Not much time is spent on Jonah's backstory and I'm interested to see what will be shared in the upcoming volumes.

What an unexpected duo Mercy and Jonah make.
One a monster hunter with a stoic air and a mysterious past, the other a shy and bookish girl that hires the monster hunter to kill the monster that killed her father.
Things go a bit sideways however, leading Mercy and Jonah to go on a journey to fix the mess that has been made.
The setting feels like going back in time, maybe in the 1800s. A simpler time, as they say.
There is a lot of intrigue and mystery to the plot and the character designs for both the people and the monsters pair with the concept beautifully.
I really look forward to reading the second volume.

THE ART!? The romance!? The intrigue? I loved this, I was hooked from the first few panels. The characters are so cute and the story is fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

Gorgeous art, great world building, many of my favourite tropes, and well paced! Definitely want to eat this entire series right up like a bag of potato chips.

I received an ARC for this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for my honest review. The following opinion(s) are my own and hold no major spoilers.

I LOVED this graphic novel. I hadn't heard of this title before or that it was a Webtoon but this was so cute. I will most definitely be purchasing this when it releases.

This volume follows the life of Mercy as she deals with her fathers death. She hires a monster hunter to kill the creature that killed her father but everything seems to go haywire from there. Mercy and Jonah (our monster hunter) are now on a journey to correct an error that was made and fighting monsters on their way.

I will be binging the rest of the series on Webtoon until I can get my hands on the complete physical set :)

Mercy lives in a swamp on the outskirts of town with her father. Well, she did. Her father was killed by a creature that tore him apart. Marcy calls upon a monster hunter named Jonah to help track down the creature that killed her father before it can get to anyone else.

Marcy and Jonah head deeper in to the swamp to search for the creature. They find a Mist wolf. When Jonah tries to get rid of the mist wolf, the plan goes terribly wrong. This is where their story really begins.

The two of them set out on a quest to fix their mess up in the swamp. Along the way the two of them learn more about each other and they realize that they are both more than what they initially had thought. Mercy isnt just a quiet, sky , book worm. Jonah is more than a gruff monster hunter.

The story is well paced. We start off with them hunting the wolf, so there wasnt to much lull time. There is constant plot movement and character development.

I think the art works very well for the story. The color palette sets the mood.

I really enjoy the character development and the slow burn romance feel between the two of them. The volume leaves us on a cliff hanger that really draws the two main characters together and Im so excited to read the next volume. I need more of Jonahs back story.



Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books | 23rd St. for the Digital ARC for review.

The sheltered nature of the female protagonist is not my favorite, but the story looks like it will go somewhere interesting. The artwork and layout of the text is excellent.

A captivating and atmospheric start to what promises to be a unique series. The world feels alive and mysterious, drawing you in from the first page.

The art style is a standout — beautifully detailed, organic, and unlike anything else I’ve seen. It perfectly matches the eerie, otherworldly tone of the story.

There’s just enough revealed to spark curiosity, with hints of deeper lore and character arcs to come. I’m hooked and can’t wait for Volume 2!

I love the tension between Jonah and Mercy it’s so cute and I can’t wait to see where their relationship progresses later in the series. I absolutely love the adventures along the way to their main objective and love knowing that there’s more to Jonah than mets the eye!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC; all opinions are my own.**

4.5 ⭐️

This was a wonderful new adult GN! It had everything I like in my stories: monsters, mystery, adventure, and a quest. I also LOVED the art!

If you like:
☆monster hunters
☆spirit possession
☆unlikely allies/friendship
☆sort of Rick & Evie vibes
☆the Witcher meets Southern Gothic romance
Then pick this one up!!

Staying true to the synopsis, the chapter starts with a familiar Witcher scene (where he goes into the forest to slay a monster). The character depictions are good and the plot is interesting enough that I want to read the next installment! Hoping it does happen and soon :)

Thank you NetGalley, First Second Books & 23rd St. for giving me the opportunity to read this!

I subscribed to this on Webtoon immediately. I am hooked! I can not wait to read more about Mercy and Jonah. It has a very Witcher vibe and I am here for it. I love that Jonah is blonde. We never get to see a blonde male lead who is the hero. They are either dark haired or they have white/gray.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of Of Swamp & Sea Volume 1!
5 / 5 ⭐

“Harmless nonhuman wanders where it shouldn’t, gets folks riled up. Suddenly the “monster” is the one that needs protecting.”

Of Swam & Sea is a completed 117 chapter work on webtoons that is now being traditionally published by First Second. I hadn’t read it before, but I really enjoyed both the characters and the artwork. This first installment of the series focused around Jonah the monster hunter and Mercy, an orphaned young woman possessed by the wolf spirit she hired Jonah to handle. I’ll definitely be taking a look at the rest of the series, and the traditionally published version of it will be well loved for fans of supernatural graphic novels.

Of Swamp and Sea is an adventure filled comic. It has monsters, interesting characters, and mystery. The format feels a bit "monster of the week" while the two main characters continue their journey for answers. I'm enjoying watching them learn more about each other and understand each other's struggles.
The art is great! The monster designs are interesting, the world is vibrant, and the action is easy to follow.
This is a very solid first volume that starts with a bang and draws you in from your beginning. I'm excited to read more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

This volume follows Mercy as she deals with her father's death. She hires a monster hunter, Jonah, to kill the creature that killed her father. While Jonah is trying to get rid of the monster, it possesses Mercy. Now they are on a mission to remove the creature from Mercy. So far, I have enjoyed this volume. I like the journey that Jonah and Mercy are on. I like Mercy, and I enjoy the scenes of her talking to Jonah about books. Jonah is still growing because of his mysterious nature. However, I love how kind he is towards Mercy and the rest of the people. The cliffhanger worked because I want the next volume quickly. I like the artwork and the color scheme.

A monster hunter and a woman possessed by a monster in one of his jobs-gone-wrong. This was a great start to the series--it really gives you a good sense of who the characters are and lays the foundation for their growing relationship.

Jonah reminded me a lot of Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher, partly because of his profession, but also because of his gruff exterior and sympathetic heart. Mercy is your typical everywoman...except for the fact that she's possessed by a feral beast that comes out in moments of anger or danger.

The story plays out like a road trip as the two travel in search of a cure before the beast inside Mercy takes over completely. Like The Witcher, there are many sidequests along the way, and the line between monster and human is sometimes blurred.

The art style is really cute and the ending has me intrigued. Will definitely continue the series!

Thank you First Second Books | 23rd St. for providing this ARC for review!

Favorite quote(s):

“I've never been far from home. I wonder what's waiting out there for me? Beyond the town. Beyond the swamp. What will the world see when it looks at me? Will it see me? Or will it see the wolf?”


Review:

This comic is so good! I had started it on Webtoon ages ago and am slowly catching up. Being able to go back to the start was great. I love the characters so much. Mercy is very determined, and while he can seem reserved, Jonah is kind and genuinely cares about doing the right thing. Their journey is just beginning, and already it's been an adventure with possession, the cute scene with the brancher and babies, and even more. It's great to see the bond between Mercy and Jonah growing, even this far. I love how they are opening up to each other, even if it's slow. Each has their secrets and stories to tell. The writing is great, and the story is coming along nicely so far. The art is amazing, and I love the details and style so much. That was one hell of a cliffhanger, and I am excited for more.